The United Nations and the Evolution of Global Values


Composition of the Research Team
Team leader: Prof. Dr. Nico Schrijver (middle)
Senior researcher: Dr. Koos van der Bruggen (right)
PhD Candidate: Otto Spijkers, MA, LLM (left)
Research question and aim of the research project
The research project is financed by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO). The aim of the project is to map the global values that defined the birth of the United Nations (these values are peace and security, human dignity, sustainable development and self-determination) and to describe how these values evolved over time.
The research question consists of two parts, and is as follows:
  • How and to what extent did global values contribute to the birth and evolution of the United Nations system? 
  • How and to what extent did the United Nations contribute to the evolution of global values?  
Susbsequent questions need to be answered, such as: Is the United Nations, of which the Charter was drafted in 1945, still suitable for guiding the global community through modern times and challenges (such as terrorism and climate change)? To what extent did the United Nations play a leading role in the emergence and evolution of new normative views on international society? Has the international normative regime, whose skeleton was created with the establishment of the United Nations, caused renewed attention and acceptation of a ‘global morality’?
Methodology and Sources
  • Thorough and comprehensive research of the documents of the United Nations Conference on International Organization of 1945.
  • Research of the development of the law and practice at the United Nations throughout its existence, with particular attention to the UN General Assembly and Security Council.
  • Closer examination of the most influential and authoritative reports by expert panels and commissions, such as “North-South: A Program for Survival” (Brandt Report), “Common Security: a Blueprint for Survival” (Palme Report), “Our Common Future” (Brundtland report), “Our Global Neighborhood” (Carlsson/Ramphal report), and “A More Secure World: Our Shared Responsibility” (Report by High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change).
  • Interdisciplinary examination of the essential literature on the topic (essential books in philosophy and ethics, law, and politics). Some of the essential books are discussed in the exploratory study by Koos van der Bruggen.   
Relevance for Academia and the Public at Large
The primary sources and day-to-day practice of the United Nations have never been researched from a global values perspective. The results of this research could play a constructive role in the topical debate on United Nations reform in the light of the new challenges faced by the organization, such as ethnic conflicts, terrorism and climate change. We also hope to unite experts in three different fields of study: law, ethics, and politics. For this reason, we have organized a national workshop on 12 January 2007, during which experts from all three fields of study discussed the challenges of such an interdisciplinary approach to global values and the role of these values in the work of the United Nations.
Expected Results
We have organized a national workshop on the role of the United Nations in the evolution of global values in 2007, and an international conference on our research theme in 2008. We did publish various popular and scientific articles, and will continue to do so, including a dissertation (to be completed in 2010).
Selected Publications in English
Selected Publications in French
Selected Publications in Dutch